London Lawyer Outs J.K. Rowling As Author Of The Cuckoo’s Calling

The recent outing of J.K. Rowling as the author of the mystery novel, “The Cuckoo’s Calling,” under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, highlights the heightened necessity of a lawyer maintaining client secrets in the age of social media.  Apparently a London lawyer told his wife’s best friend about Rowling’s pseudonym, who then posted the information on Twitter.  A London newspaper then found the information on Twitter and published it in a weekend edition.

Rowling, reeling from the disclosure, succinctly summed up the situation as follows: “To say that I am disappointed is an understatement….I had assumed that I could expect total confidentiality from [the British Law firm], and I feel very angry that my trust turned out to be misplaced.”  Fair point, She-Who-Did-Not-Want-to-be-Named.

Maintaining client confidentiality is a huge part of being a lawyer.  Had the disclosure occurred in Washington, the lawyer would have violated several Rules of Professional Conduct (“RPC”), including but not limited to RPC 1.6 which states flatly,  “A lawyer shall not reveal information relating to the representation of a client….”

The age of social media has in no way diminished a lawyer’s responsibility to maintain their client’s confidences, but media platforms, like Twitter, have created an instant springboard to exposing client secrets—especially if your client is famous.

Of note, “The Cuckoo’s Calling” only sold in the hundreds of copies since being released in April—but after Rowling was outed the book has topped best-seller lists.

Sources:

San Francisco Chronicle: Law firm admits leaking Rowling’s alter ego

Washington State Courts Website

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